Month: May 2015

I took these photos of New Holland Honeyeaters a few weeks ago. When I saw a photo very similar to the one above on the Ken & Agnes Photoworks blog, it inspired me to share mine. Their post is entitled “where are all the leaves?”, which I’ve copied for my post because I think it works so well for these shots.

Two New Holland Honeyeaters ponder life, and the absence of leaves.

Do you have a photo of a bird on a bare branch? Why not post it and use the tag “where are all the leaves” so others can find it?

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This week’s WPC theme is “enveloped”. I initially read it as en-vel-OPE’d (something in an envelope) rather than en-VEL-op’d (one thing wrapped/cocconed in another), and thought that envelopes were an odd thing to photograph.

An hour later, I opened my mailbox and found an envelope from Amazon. Amazon sends me only one thing that matters in an envelope: royalty cheques.

I’m of two minds about these cheques. On one hand, the amounts are laughably small: it takes me a year of lacklustre sales to scrape over the US$100 threshold for payment to kick in. On the other hand — these are the only payments I’ve ever received for work that is entirely my own. I didn’t sit at a desk from 9 to 5 doing work someone else has dictated I must do. The novels and stories are my ideas, my words, my efforts (with, of course, input from beta readers and my editor!).

So, although these cheques won’t change my life, an envelope from Amazon is nonetheless a welcome sight.

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I’m thrilled that Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge is looking for photographs of liquid, because I couldn’t imagine how I’d ever get to post these two shots of a glass of water. Which do you prefer — the all black/white, or the black/white with blue straw?

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On ‘Tenacious’ in a Force 10 storm, Atlantic Ocean April 2006. Note the spindrift (spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind), the flying rain, and the water surging onto the deck through the scuppers as the ship rolls.

The Beaufort Wind Scale is used to describe wind intensity based on observed sea conditions. The scale ranges from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane), with Force 10 known as a storm. A 10 is characterised by a mean wind speed of 52kt (60mph) and waves with a probable height of 9m (29.5 ft). Sailing through such a storm in a tall ship, you are in no doubt of the force of nature.

Sea State 8: Waves are described as ‘very high’, which is something of an understatement when you’re at their level.

Water pours over the rail as ‘Tenacious’ rolls.

This shot is horribly blown out, but it captures the sense of urgency and action, and the sheer difficulty of pulling on ropes while standing on the wet deck of a ship that is flinging itself in every direction.

‘Tenacious’ heeled 40 degrees. View forward from the bridge.

Those waves are very big — and very close when you’re standing on the exposed bridge and the ship is heeled and rolling!

Sea State 8: more ‘very high’ waves.

The breaking waves make a hissing sound, barely audible over the wind shrieking in the rigging.

These curtains are obeying gravity and hanging straight — it’s the ship that is leaning!

Of course, winds of that ferocity do damage — to the ship, the sails and the crew.

A sail on the fore mast blew out when the winds hit us. You can see it flapping behind the yard.

The remains of the sail.

The ensign was also torn in the storm.

People were injured, generally when they lost their footing and were flung against something. This is me: torn rotator cuff and slight dislocation of my shoulder, plus gashed scalp, due to flying into a steel deckhouse wall. Not a happy sailor!

I’m slowly working through the backlog of photos I took in Vanuatu last November. Processing these images of woven baskets and ropework today, I thought they fit in well with Weekly Photo Challenge theme of intricate.

These woven baskets are a common sight, used by locals to carry a variety of goods. This photo was taken at the main market in Port Vila.

Looking up at the bedroom ceiling in my resort (Eratap Beach Resort). I love how the craftsmen took the time to weave intricate patterns with the rope.